The incredible enogastronomic heritage of Lunigiana

Lunigiana combines incomparable environmental diversity with thousands of years of history, one that witnessed cultures and civilizations meet, clash and merge in order to create that wealth of knowledge, flavors and traditions that make it so extraordinary. It is called the Land of Ancient Flavors for a good reason: it has excelled in the preservation and innovation of an immense enogastronomic heritage, whose origins are rooted in a humble farming culture and based on simple ingredients, the result of people’s incessant activity in fields and pastures, the careful procedures developed for processing and production, the traditional slow cooking mostly done over wood stoves – make sure you will have the chance to taste the roasted Zeri lamb before you leave our land – or on the testi, the terracotta hot plates found in every home.
Knowledge, traditions, preparations and recipes have thus been passed down from generation to generation, creating gold nuggets for those who are passionate about food and tradition. Unique dishes born from the skillful combination of what nature and the hand of man could provide: wild herbs for the exquisite torta d’erbi – a simple and savory vegetable pie – simple preparations of water, flour and salt to make testaroli pasta, eaten with pesto or a tasty mushroom sauce, and the panigacci bread that goes so well with cured meats and cheeses.
Chestnuts, the precious fruit from the bread trees that cover entire hills, dominate numerous recipes, from pasta and roasts to bread and sweets, satisfying even the most demanding palates, maybe paired with a soft fresh ricotta cheese and some sweet honey produced here.
But if olive oil is the green gold of these lands, recognized and protected by the DOP – Protected Designation of Origin label, as is the honey that has long held this seal of guarantee, the variety of DOC – Controlled Designation of Origin wines that Lunigiana’s native grape varieties produce – on the hills of Candia and the Luni Plain, fresh, fruity whites or full-bodied, intense reds – will surely surprise even the greatest critics.